Scaffold-bracket.



0. SMART.

SCAFFOLD BRACKET.

PPLICATION F Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

INVENTDR W 1-;- RNEYEJ,

; 1:55 II p by @C/M a .bHIldIIIg-SO as to form CHARLES S ART, or NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

sciirFoLn-BRnoKEr.

To all whomz't-mag concern: i

' Be it known that I, CHARLES SMART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Scafi'old- Brackets, of which the following isa specification. i

' This invention relates to ascaffold bracket having means for detachably connecting to part of a scaffold for use in completing the erection of a building. j

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved scaffold bracket of this character .Which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction, which is easilyand readilyoperable and which will securely hold thebracket in place and not loosen while in use. A

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional perspectiveview showing my improved scaffold bracket applied to the wall of a building. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the same taken in line 2-2, Fig. 8. Fig. 3 is an elevation, partly in section, of the scaffold bracket viewed from the inside of the building. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken in line 4-4, Fig. 3.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 represents a wall of the building or other support upon which this scaffold bracket is adapted to be secured. The body of this bracket may be of any suitable construction but as shown in the drawings the same comprises an upright leg 2 engaging with the outer side of the wall or support 1, a horizontal arm 3 projecting outwardly from the upper end of the leg and adapted to support the scaffold boards or the like, and an inclined brace 4 connecting the lower part of the leg with the outer part of the supporting arm.

The fastening whereby the body of the bracket is secured to the wall or support and which embodies my invention is constructed as follows: 5 represents a tie or clamping rod arranged horizontally in an opening-6 of the bracket leg between the upper and lower end thereof and provided at its front or outer end with a head 7 which bears against the adjacent outer side of the leg through the medium of Specification of LettersPatent. Application filed July 23, 1915.

an interposed- Patented Dec, 1.9, 1916. serial No. 461,456-

washer 8 while the rear or inner end of this rod projects inwardly beyond this leg and is provided at its inner or rear end with a vertical opening 9 which is preferably inclined from its upper end outwardly toward its lower end, as shown in Fig. 2. lnthe use of this fastening it is preferable to have this opening of the tie rod arranged vertically for convenience in assembling the parts as will presently appear. For the purpose of insuring the retention of the tie rod in a position in which its opening 9 will always be vertical this rod is secured against rotation in the leg of the bracket, this being preferably accomplished by ,meansof a locking nail or pin 10 which is passed through a verticalopening 11 formed in this rod adjacent to the inner side of the leg and driven at its opposite ends into the adjacent part of the leg, as shown in Fig. To permit of this the leg of the bracket body, as well as the other members of the bracket, is preferably made of wood.

12 represents a" clamping block forming part of the means whereby an inward aull is produced on the tie rod for the purpose ofsecuring the bracket body against the outer side of the supporting wall. This block is preferably elongated vertically and provided with a longitudinal slot 13 through which the inner part of the tie rod projects, an outer vertical face 14 which is adapted to bear against the inner side of the supporting wall and a recess 15 on its inner side which is arranged around the slot 13 and constructed to form two inclined faces 16 on opposite sides of the slot, said faces 16 preferably inclining from their upper ends downwardly and outwardly.

17, 17 represent two inclined runways which are constructed of metal in the form of channels and secured with their outer flanges 18 to the inclined faces of the clamping block so that they are parallel and have their concave or grooved sides facing each other. Theserunways may be secured to the clamping block, which is preferably made of wood, in any suitable manner but preferably by constructing each of these runways at its lower end in the form of a sharpened point or spur 19 which is driven into the adjacent part of the wooden clamping block and securing the upper end of the outer flange thereof to the block by similar means.

the outer side of the means of a nail 20 or i It will be noted that its'diametrically opposite edge portions in p g V 1,208,849

clamping block and the inclined runways on the inner side thereof converge downwardly and therefore, in eifect, producea wedge-shaped portion on the clamping block.

22 represents a thrust member or collar forming part of the means whereby the wedging action of the clamping block is transmitted to the tie rod. This thrust collar is preferably constructed in the form of a washer or ring which is loosely mounted on the inner end of the tie rod and engages the channels of the runways so that this washer is inclined. The inner side of this thrust member or washer bears against a key 21 which is arranged in the inclined opening 9 in the inner end of the tie rod which key preferably consists of a trail which is inserted into this opening from the top thereof so that its head 23 is above the tie rod. This key is arranged parallel'with the inclined washer 21 by reason of therunways which receive the washer and the opening of the tie rod which receives the ney nail beingarranged at the same angle. At the lower end of the recess 15 the same is preferably provided with a pocket 24 into which the lower or pointed end of the key 22 enters when assembling the parts and forms a stop for this key so that the same will not drop unduly but will be arrested in such a position in which a considerable part of its body is arranged above and below the tie rod and thus enable the thrust washer to obtain a good bearing against the key above and below the tie rod.

In applying this bracket to a building the tie rod is first passed inwardly through a previously formed opening 25 in the wall until the leg of the bracket body bears against the outer side of this wall. The clamping block and the washer or thrust member are then passed over the inner end of the tie rod so that the outer side of the clamping block bears against the inner side of the wall, and then the key nail is inserted into the key opening 15 of the tie rod from the top thereof and on the inner side of the thrust washer. Upon now driving the clamping block downwardly bymeans of a hammer or otherwise the wedge-shaped'portion of this block will cause the thrust washer to be pressed outwardly against the key nail, thereby producing an inward pull on the tie rod which causes the bracket body to be securely held against the outer wallof the building. 7 During this downward or wedging movement of the clamping block its runways slide upon the opposite marginal portions of the thrust washer without, however, disturbing the position of the latter. When the bracket hasbeen thus fas-.

tened to the wall there is no liability of any part of the fastening becoming loose or ,detached, but all parts remain secure so that the scaffold and the load thereon are supported with absolute safety.

When it is desired to remove the scaffold bracket this can be easily done by aslight upward blow against the lower end of the clamping block, thereby relieving the wedge action of this block against the thrust washer and also lifting the nail key partly. out of the key opening of the rod so that the several parts of the bracket fastening can be easily dismembered by hand and clein the channels of the runways so as to prevent thesame fro-m becoming lost and with this end in view those parts of the block adjacent to the lower ends of therunways op crate as lower stops on obstructions which prevent the escape of the thrust washerfrom these ends of the runways and stops 26 are provided at the upper ends of the-channels which pr vent the escape of the thrust washer from the last mentioned ends of the channels, this being preferably accomplished by bending the upper ends of the inner flanges of these channelsoutwardly against the adjacent upper portions of the outer flanges thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thereby confining. the washer within the channels of the runways, but permitting the channels and washers to slide relatively to each otherQ Y V My improved scaflold bracket contains no delicate parts which are liable to getout of order, the same can be readily applied'to or removed from the building without requiring any skilled help for this purpose and port, a tie rod connected at its outer end with i said body and adapted to pass through said support, andmeans for tightening'said rod comprising a clamping block adapted'to engageits outer side with the inner side of said support, inclined runways arranged on the inner side of said block and each having an end pointed and'driveninto the block, a

nail which secures the opposite'end of each runway to the block, a thrust washer mounted on the rod and engaging opposite edges with said runways, and a key arranged on the rod and engaging with said washer.

' CHARLES sneer.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner' o f latents, 7 Washington, D. 0.? V 

